Resources:

Recommended Externally-Produced Podcasts

Here
are some podcasts, by topic, I recommend considering for your classes
or even checking out for your own use. I provide links to the sites but
nearly all of these can also be found on iTunes. The topics are linked below with subtopics in each:

I'd Rather be Writing/Tech Writer Voices:
A podcast "about the latest trends in technical communication. I
interview tech writing luminaries around the world as well as record
STC presentations and other audio content" (from website).

I Should Be Writing: A “podcast by a wanna-be writer for wanna-be writers. Let my stack of rejection letters and battle scars benefit you” (from website). This is for fiction/science fiction writers, but some advice may be helpful to student writers.

Podictionary:
A "word of the day" podcast where Charles Hodgson goes into the
background for the word, often including interesting stories.

Since
social media is such a new and quickly evolving area, podcasts can
provide kairotic information. I enjoy using examples of social media
when I teach social media, and use some of these podcasts as texts in
graduate and undergraduate classes.

The Digital Marketer: Quick and dirty tips for growing your business with digital tools. Has ended, but the episodes are still good.

"Making of a Podcast"
Virgin Worlds #70: This is a great podcast on how to do podcasts. I
require this episode as "reading" for all my classes that do podcasts.
Normally the podcast is about gaming.

Mind Share/Social Media Marketing Strategies:
The psychology of social media: "Learn how to leverage human psychology
and social media technology to become world famous… build social
presence, get attention, and sell more" (iTunes). These are quick,
interesting podcasts. So far there are only a few.

SitePoint:
"News opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The
official podcast of sitepoint.com" (from website).

Social Media Podcast:
"The latest news and forthright opinion on what's happening in social
media, covering topics like Twitter, blogs, social networks and
podcasts. Featuring interviews, opinion and rants from some of the
leading names in social media" (from website). The podcaster is
from the UK and you may like the accent or not.

Technology:

These
podcasts may be good for technology-intensive classes, as semester
subscriptions or single episode "readings." They also may provide good
examples for critique and analysis. Tech podcasts show up in some of
the other categories I have included.

TEDtalks:
From the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, these
audio or video podcasts (most are available in both formats) include
some of the world's "most fascinating people: Trusted voices and
convention-breaking mavericks, icons, and geniuses" (iTunes). These are
good examples and work well for critiques and analysis.

Rhetoric

Critical Thinking/Skeptics:

I often recommend critical thinking and skeptic podcasts for my rhetoric students. The podcasts are good for rhetorical analysis.

Skepticality: The official biweekly podcast of The Skeptics Society's Skeptic
magazine. "Our podcast is here to bring you relevant, under reported
current events, as well as in-depth discussions from a scientific,
critical, skeptical, and humorous point of view."

The Skeptic Zone: "The Podcast from Australia for Science and Reason" (from website).

Token Skeptic
A "weekly look at superstition, paranormal belief and the science
behind it all. The podcast covers a range of ideas and issues, stemming
from psychology, philosophy and ethics, science, critical thinking,
literacy and education. I really enjoy doing interviews!" (from website).

Politics & Opinion:

These podcasts can make great readings, whether individual episodes or a semester subscription, in rhetoric classes. These can also make good texts for rhetorical critique and analysis. These would also work in classes that focus on speeches and oral presentations. Many have a political focus that fits well with classes or projects that focus on politics.

Common Sense with Dan Carlin: Carlin is, according to the iTunes listing,
one of the "leading thinkers among today's politically independent
crowd." Also called non-partisan, fiscally conservative, and socially
liberal, this may be a good choice for those looking for something
neither left nor right.

Democracy Now: Highly rated on iTunes
and seems to do a good job at looking at a variety of angles. Noted as
a good "independent" politics podcast. This is a radio show converted
to podcast.

Free Talk Live: Rated highly on iTunes. Calls itself "talk radio that ANYONE can take control of." Students in my 2008 Senior Seminar recommended this podcast to other students for their political podcast subscription.

Great Speeches in History: This podcast also focuses on what are considered great speeches and often includes the actual speeches by the speaker.

Rhetoric Nation: Reviews on iTunes say
this is a "ranty" and opinionated podcast where listeners either will
agree 100% or disagree 100%. The blurb says the goal is to "leave the
listener informed and confused by the state of things big/small and
everything in between."

Slate's Political Gabfest: Rated highly on iTunes. The three hosts, from Slate magazine, discuss politics. This was the podcast I subscribed to in my 2008 Senior Seminar where I required a political podcast subscription.

Informative

Educational:

Educational podcasters have information and knowledge they want to share. These podcasters can be college professors, experts in their field, or “everyday people.” Educational podcasts can be good supplements to class texts or good examples to critique and analyze or they may be used to inspire other educational podcasts. Many educational podcasts fit into other categories too, and many other podcasts on this page could fit into this category. I selected a few that are great examples, but outside our traditional writing, media, and rhetoric categories.

Astronomy cast (a very popular podcast): "Astronomy Cast
takes a fact-based journey through the cosmos as it offers listeners
weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to
cosmology" (from website).

Get-It-Done Guy: This is a time management podcast with quick and dirty tips to work less and do more.

JapanesePod101.com: The "Fastest,
Easiest, and Most Fun Way" to learn Japanese (from website).

Jordanian Arabic Language Lessons:
"A series of Arabic language lessons designed for Peace Corps
Volunteers and students gives listeners the basics of the language.
Peace Corps' Coverdell World Wise Schools provides free educational
materials based on the Peace Corps Volunteer experience" (from website).

Talking Traffic:
"Traffic, Transportation, and Mobility Issues for the Everyday Person" (from website).
Good information on how traffic and transportation work. [Disclaimer: This is my husband's podcast.]

Instructions, How-Tos, and Tutorials:

These may be good for technical writing or technical communication students or classes or any class where writing to instruct is important.

Good in classes where interviews, whether podcast or not, are a component. These can also be used as examples for analysis and genre studies. If students could do an interview podcast for a project (or are required to), these may be good texts and examples.

By Women. For Women: “These podcasts feature interviews with current Seal Press authors and the topics range from childbirth options to dealing with the death of a parent, from the issues facing transgender women today to training for a marathon” (from website).

Dragon Page: Cover to Cover:
"Conversations with the creators of the best in science fiction and
fantasy. If you love SF literature, are an author or aspire to become
one, you'll enjoy this podcast" (from website).

5 Minutes with Wichita:
"Humorous Interviews with Bluegrass Stars and stuff" (from website). This series seems
to have stopped but the short, quick interviews are funny and shows
good interview techniques.

Small World: Bazooka Joe interviews everyday people. This series also shows good interview techniques.

Infected:
This is one of many podcast novels by Scott Sigler. The book is also in
print form. The novel is in the horror genre, and language in the novel
and site is not appropriate for all ages. Sigler was the first to
podcast a novel, and has done so successfully, becoming a New York Times
best seller from the audience he gathered podcasting and the resulting
book contracts. This or one of his other novels may be good for classes
where students analyze genre, remediation, the evolution of media, or
writing for publication. Find out more and about his other podcast
novels on Sigler's site.

12 Byzantine Rulers:
"This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire
through the study of twelve of its greatest rulers" (from website). This is a good
example of a complete series and shows how even things that could seem
boring can be made interesting.

*
Podfaded: The fading of a podcast that eventually leads to the series
stopping, often without warning. Episodes may become less and less
frequent and then stop.